Successful adaptive servo-ventilation for patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema due to severe aortic stenosis.

A 60-year-old woman with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and congenital bicuspid aortic valve was admitted to our hospital due to cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Noninvasive adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) improved her symptoms and respiratory status. It was associated with favorable hemodynamic effects including an increase in cardiac output and a decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance without alternating systemic blood pressure.

Cytologic findings of epithelioid trophoblastic tumor of the uterus: a case report.

Background: Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT) is a rare entity within trophoblastic tumors. It is difficult to recognize ETT because of its epithelioid appearance.

Case: A 35-year-old female, 5 years after pregnancy, experienced genital bleeding 2 months prior to consulting us.

Refractory gastric ulcer with abundant IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration: a case report.

We describe a 77-year-old man with refractory gastric ulcer that worsened after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. Pathology showed marked infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in the gastric lesions, which led us to suspect IgG4-related sclerosing disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of IgG4-related gastric ulcer without the main manifestation of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Successful non contrast percutaneous coronary intervention for patient with unstable angina and prior anaphylactic reaction to iodinated contrast medium.

A 53-year-old man, who had a history of angina treated by percutaneous coronary intervention without allergic reaction to contrast and coronary bypass surgery, was hospitalized due to epigastralgia and tarry stool. During an enhanced computed tomography for the evaluation of abdominal diseases, he became hypotensive and had chest pain. To diagnose acute coronary syndrome, coronary angiography (CAG) was performed after the intravenous administration of hydrocortisone.

Pharmacological characterization and determination of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationship of PF-00885706, a novel partial agonist selective for the 5-HT(4) receptor.

The pharmacological profile of PF-00885706, a selective 5-HT(4) receptor partial agonist, was investigated. PF-00885706 displayed a high binding affinity for the human 5-HT(4d) receptor with a K(i) of 3.7 nM that translates to functional agonist activity in vitro with EC(50) values of 4.

Significance of neonatal testicular sex steroids to defeminize anteroventral periventricular kisspeptin neurons and the GnRH/LH surge system in male rats.

The brain mechanism regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinizing hormone (LH) release is sexually differentiated in rodents. Kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) have been suggested to be sexually dimorphic and involved in the GnRH/LH surge generation. The present study aimed to determine the significance of neonatal testicular androgen to defeminize AVPV kisspeptin expression and the GnRH/LH surge-generating system.

Clinical significance of axillary microresiduals after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with cytologically proven metastases.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been widely accepted for advanced breast cancer patients, and pathological complete remission (pCR) was revealed to be an important prognostic factor. The pCR status of cytologically proven axillary metastases (ALN-pCR) offers a more powerful prognostic predictor than pCR of the main tumor. This study evaluated the clinical significance of residual micrometastases and discusses screening methods after NAC in patients with cytologically proven axillary metastases.

Surrounding rim formation and reduction in size after radiofrequency ablation for primary breast cancer.

Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has recently been used to treat small breast cancer. However, there are no data on the long-term morphological features after the procedure. The present study attempts to clarify the characteristics of and changes in the ablated lesion.

Enhanced ability of regulatory T cells in chronic hepatitis C patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels than those with active hepatitis.

In hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the Th1-type immune response is involved in liver injury. A predominance of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Treg) is hypothesized in patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (PNALT). Our aim was to clarify the role of Treg in the pathogenesis of PNALT.

Tumor reduction rate predicts early recurrence in patients with breast cancer failing to achieve complete response to primary chemotherapy.

Background: Primary chemotherapy (PCT) for breast cancer is effective as postoperative adjuvant therapy, which permits more lumpectomies and can be used to study breast cancer biology. Many reports indicate that the presence or absence of residual cancer after PCT has been proposed as a critical prognostic factor for prolonged disease-free and overall survival. However, pathological complete response (pCR) has not been obtained for all cases, and the majority of the patients indicate partial response to PCT.

Arachidonic acid enhances intracellular calcium levels in dentate gyrus, but not CA1, in aged rat.

The effect of dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on long-term potentiation (LTP) and calcium mobilization in hippocampal slices from aged rats was assessed. LTP magnitude was significantly greater in PUFA-supplemented animals compared to age-matched controls (OCs). LTP did not differ among PUFA-supplemented groups.

Accumulation of regulatory T cells in sentinel lymph nodes is a prognostic predictor in patients with node-negative breast cancer.

It has been revealed that sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) from patients with node-negative breast cancer involve RT-PCR detected micrometastases and isolated tumour cells. However, the prognostic significance of the pathologically undetectable micrometastases is still controversial. In this study, we evaluated Foxp3 positive regulatory T cells (Treg) in SLNs as host-side immune marker that has the potential to detect these micrometastases.

Detection of elevated proteins in peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer by analyzing mass spectra data of serum proteins.

Background: Recently, several authors reported on the Protein Chip approach to analyze serum. They used SELDI-TOF-MS (surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry) to identify patients with cancers of various origins in a highly sensitive and specific manner. In the current study, a similar approach was employed to analyze the serum of patients with various stages of gastric cancer.

In vitro and in vivo pharmacological characterization of PF-01354082, a novel partial agonist selective for the 5-HT(4) receptor.

The pharmacological profile of PF-01354082, a selective 5-HT(4) receptor partial agonist, was investigated. PF-01354082 displayed high affinity for human 5-HT(4d) and dog 5-HT(4h) receptors in binding studies, having Ki values of 2.0 nM and 4.

[A case report of anesthesia for a child with Pompe's disease (glycogen storage disease type II)].

A case report of a child with Pompe's disease (glycogen storage disease type II), who underwent two general anesthetics, is presented. The progressive infiltration of heart and skeletal muscle with glycogen results in a severe form of cardiomyopathy and respiratory muscle weakness. Death usually occurs by 1 year of age from respiratory insufficiency or end-stage cardiomyopathy.

[Anesthetic management of a child with an esophageal foreign body which was misdiagnosed as asthma attack].

We have experienced anesthesia of a child with airway stenosis caused by esophageal foreign body (coin-type lithium battery), which was misdiagnosed as asthma. The case is an 18-month-old boy who had asthma-like symptoms since 2 months before, and visited our hospital because these symptom had started to worsen 3 days before visit. His stridor was significant and we noted a coin-shaped foreign body on chest X-ray taken for admission.

A new approach for improving cordycepin productivity in surface liquid culture of Cordyceps militaris using high-energy ion beam irradiation.

Aims: To obtain a higher cordycepin production using Cordyceps militaris mutant obtained by a new mutagenesis technique called 'ion beam'.

Methods And Results: Successful irradiation of C. militaris NBRC 9787 by a proton beam with high energy was performed, and 30 classes of 8-azaadenine- and 28 classes of 8-azaaguanine-resistant mutants were obtained on mutant screening, of which seven classes were selected as promising preliminary mutants having an antibacterial ability as an index of cordycepin production.

Histopathological study of specimens obtained by left ventricular biopsy during ventriculoplasty for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective: Pathological changes in the myocardium in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are usually studied using endomyocardial biopsy specimens, but the relationship between pathological changes in the myocardium and clinical findings is unclear. The goal of the study was to examine correlations between clinical findings and histopathological findings in specimens of the left ventricular myocardium collected during left ventriculoplasty in DCM patients.

Methods: The subjects were 20 DCM patients (17 males and 3 females; mean age: 59 ± 14 years old) who underwent left ventriculoplasty, including 16 cases of overlapping ventriculoplasty (OLVP) and 4 of papillary muscle approximation (PMA) with left ventricular incision.

N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,2-dimethyl-8-{[(4R)-5-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-4-yl]amino}imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-6-carboxamide (PF-03716556), a novel, potent, and selective acid pump antagonist for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Inhibition of H(+),K(+)-ATPase is accepted as the most effective way of controlling gastric acid secretion. However, current acid suppressant therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease, using histamine H(2) receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors, does not fully meet the needs of all patients because of their mechanism of action. This study sought to characterize the in vitro and in vivo pharmacology of a novel acid pump antagonist, N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-N,2-dimethyl-8-{[(4R)-5-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-4-yl]amino}imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-6-carboxamide (PF-03716556), and to compare it with other acid suppressants.

[Anesthetic management of the ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure for giant epignathus and of the tumor excision].

We report an anesthetic management of the ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure performed in a fetus with giant epignathus due to laryngeal atresia at 28 weeks' gestation. Anesthesia of the mother was induced with thiamylal and vecuronium, and maintained with 4% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen before delivery. Sevoflurane provided excellent uterine relaxation.

Forgetting the learning curve for a moment: how much performance is unrelated to own experience?

Volume-outcome relationships are of clear importance for most participants in the health-care industry; research and appropriate policy implications are of critical importance. In this letter we critique the prevailing 'learning-by-doing' view in cardiac surgery. We illustrate the very wide disparity in empirical findings on volume-outcome relationships there, in the context of broader open issues in 'learning curves' in general.

Preoperative cytologic morphometry may assist in predicting patient outcome after surgery in papillary thyroid cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the quantitative estimations of various cytologic nuclear features on smears obtained by preoperative fine-needle aspiration and to examine their correlation with patient outcome after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer.

Study Design: The subjects consisted of 142 patients with common type papillary thyroid cancer. The aspirated smears were examined quantitatively with a standard microscope connected to a computerized video system, and the mean nuclear area, nuclear perimeter, form factor (FF) and the coefficient of variation of the nuclear area (NACV) were measured and calculated.

Relationship between developmental synaptic modulation and conditioning-induced synaptic change in Lymnaea.

Though adult Lymnaea are bimodal breathers, young animals breathe mainly through the skin and adults through the lung. Operant conditioning changes adult breathing behavior from aerial to cutaneous. We hypothesized that this behavioral change is caused by alterations in the neuronal circuit during both development and conditioning.

Neurophysiological analysis of visuo-vestibular conditioning in Lymnaea stagnalis.

Lymnaea are capable of learning an association between light and rotation. The conditioning paradigm to produce this association and the unconditioned escape response are the same for both Lymnaea and Hermissenda, but the underlying neural mechanisms appear to differ between the two species due to differences in the organization and function of their visuo- and vestibular-sensory systems. The RPeD11 interneuron in Lymnaea controls withdrawal behavior.

Immunohistological studies on the distribution of learning-related peptides in the central nervous system of conditioned Lymnaea.

Behavioral conditioning in Lymnaea increased the amount of immunolabeling in the central nervous system for the memory-associated protein calexcitin. The staining level of anti-calexcitin positive neurons was always stronger in conditioned animals than in naive animals. In the visuo-vestibular conditioned animals, right-parietal and visceral group neurons as well as withdrawal-related neurons were positively stained with anti-calexcitin antibody.